Telesat Lightspeed to
Receive $400 Million Investment from the
Government of Québec
Feb. 18, 2021
Telesat has entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Government of Québec for an investment of $400
million into Telesat Lightspeed, Telesat’s
highly advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite
network. Telesat will invest $1.6 billion into
Québec, both directly and through its supply
chain, which will include a significant portion
of Lightspeed manufacturing and operations. The
Lightspeed program will create 600 high-paying
STEM jobs, leverage Québec’s substantial
aerospace expertise and infrastructure, and
allow the province to harness the significant
economic growth from the burgeoning New Space
Economy.
Lightspeed, the most innovative, cutting-edge
broadband satellite network ever conceived, will
bridge the Digital Divide both in Canada and
throughout the rest of the world. All $ amounts
referenced in this release are in Canadian
dollars.
Agreement with the Government
of Québec
Under the terms of the MOU, the investment by
the Government of Québec will consist of $200
million in preferred equity as well as a $200
million loan. It is expected that a final
agreement will be completed in the coming
months. This collaboration comes on the heels of
Telesat’s selection of Thales Alenia Space as
prime contractor for Lightspeed and its recently
completed $600 million partnership with the
Government of Canada to affordably bridge
Canada’s digital divide through Telesat
Lightspeed.
Telesat Lightspeed operations
to be located in Québec
As a result of this agreement and given
Québec’s world-class expertise and competencies
in the aerospace sector, Québec will be a key
partner for the manufacturing and operations of
Lightspeed. Specifically, the province will be
home to a large Telesat campus that will house a
broad range of Lightspeed technical operations,
including the Network Operating Centre, a
Satellite Control Centre, the Cybersecurity
Operations Centre, the Engineering Lab and an
advanced Landing Station providing secure,
high-capacity communication links to the
Lightspeed constellation. This new campus will
host approximately 320 new, highly skilled
Telesat jobs, largely in STEM.
Telesat selects MDA to
manufacture sophisticated phased array antennas
in Québec
In light of their world-class expertise,
Telesat has selected leading Canadian space
technology company MDA to manufacture the
cutting-edge phased array antennas to be
incorporated into the Lightspeed satellites. In
manufacturing these revolutionary antennas, MDA
will leverage 3D additive manufacturing and will
incorporate advanced beam hopping technology
that will allow the Lightspeed constellation to
dynamically and flexibly focus high capacity
broadband links into rural and remote
communities and other demand hot spots around
the world.
Lightspeed satellite
manufacturing in Québec, positioning the
province to be a global leader in the New Space
Economy
Telesat’s prime contractor, Thales Alenia
Space, will establish the final manufacturing of
the advanced Lightspeed satellites at an
assembly, integration and testing facility in
Québec and, in this regard, is in discussions
with Québec-based partners. This
state-of-the-art facility will leverage
next-generation manufacturing capabilities to
deliver on average one Lightspeed satellite per
day. Lightspeed satellites are the most advanced
LEO broadband satellites ever conceived,
incorporating a wide range of cutting-edge,
disruptive technologies.
“Telesat welcomes and appreciates the strong
support and participation of the Government of
Québec as we embark on Lightspeed, the most
ambitious and consequential program in our more
than 50-year history,” said Dan Goldberg,
Telesat’s President and CEO. “The vast aerospace
expertise resident in Québec, coupled with the
Government’s leadership and vision for the
fast-growing New Space Economy, provides an
overwhelmingly compelling rationale for Telesat
to make substantial investments in the province,
including the manufacture of the Lightspeed
satellites and the establishment of our
extensive technical operations. We deeply value
the world-class talent and capabilities in
Québec and we are excited to welcome that talent
into the Telesat family.”
“Today’s news is extraordinary, both for
Québec’s aerospace sector and for Québec as a
whole. The preservation of 650 jobs and the
creation of a further 600 jobs at about $100,000
a year is an example of how Québec will bridge
the wealth gap with neighbouring jurisdictions.
I am in politics to achieve this goal. The
pandemic will have an ongoing impact on aircraft
construction, and this is the ideal time to
accelerate the pace of satellite development, a
new and promising field for the aerospace
industry. Your government will continue to
invest to create better-paid jobs in Québec, to
build a more prosperous Québec, and ensure a
prouder Québec!”
“The Telesat project will raise the
international profile of Québec engineering and
our space industry. It gives us a key position
in the new, private-sector space race. This
investment will boost our aerospace industry,
which has suffered over the last year. Québec is
already a leader in the field, but with today’s
announcement, we show that we will do what it
takes to remain a leader into the future.”
“We are very proud to be selected for this
critical role on Telesat Lightspeed, which will
enable us to expand our presence in Québec and
create highly-skilled, high-paying jobs while
engaging with our local supply chain on this
ground-breaking program. With this key role in
developing next-generation antenna technology,
combined with our advanced manufacturing
capabilities, we anticipate major growth in our
Montreal-based Satellite Systems business. We
would like to thank Telesat for its confidence
in MDA, and the Government of Québec for its
financial support.”
